Child safety seat

• US 8,882,196 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wonderland Switzerland AG
• Original Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Inventors: Williams, Bruce L., Sellers, Gregory S., Hartenstine, Curtis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOWRY, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US13/181,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 297/256.13, 297/256.16, 297/250.1, 297/183.1, 248/371, 280/47.38, 280/643, 280/650, 280/658, 280/30
• US Class Current: 297/256.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2875 inclinable, as a whole or partially

Abstract

A child seat can comprise a seat shell having two protruding rails extending at an underside of the seat shell, at least four latches disposed in two symmetric pairs adjacent to the two rails, wherein the latches are operable to lock the child seat with a base, and a release mechanism operable to drive the latches to unlock from the base.

Claims

1. A child seat comprising:

a seat shell having two protruding rails extending at an underside of the seat shell;

at least four latches operable to lock and unlock the child seat with respect to a base, the four latches including a first and a second latch assembled adjacent to one of the two rails, and a third and a fourth latch assembled adjacent to the other one of the two rails, and the first and third latches being respectively affixed with a transverse shaft that is pivotally assembled with the seat shell, the transverse shaft defining a pivot axis of the first and third latches; and

a release mechanism including two drive elements operable to drive the four latches to unlock from the base, the drive elements including a first and a second drive element of elongated shapes respectively arranged in the two rails, the first drive element being respectively connected with the first and second latches, and the second drive element being respectively connected with the third and fourth latches, wherein a sliding displacement of the first and second drive elements for unlocking the four latches causes the first and third latches to rotate along with the transverse shaft about the pivot axis relative to the seat shell,

wherein a radial engagement extension of each of the first and third latches upwardly terminates into a distal end which engages with a base above the pivot axis for locking the child seat with the base.

2. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the four latches are pivotally connected with the seat shell, and the first and second drive elements are operable to slide lengthwise in the rails to drive rotation of the four latches.

3. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the second and fourth latches are operable to rotate about a second pivot axis that is spaced apart from the pivot axis of the first and third latches, the two pivot axes extending transversal relative to the seat shell.

4. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the second and fourth latches are affixed with a second transverse shaft spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the transverse shaft connecting with the first and third latches, the two transverse shafts being pivotally connected with the seat shell.

5. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein at least a pair of oblong openings are formed respectively on two lateral sides of the seat shell, and the first and third latches are disposed through the oblong openings so that a position of the first and third latches is adjustable along a lengthwise direction of the seat shell.

6. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the two rails laterally delimit a central recessed region, and each of the first and third latches comprises:

the radial engagement extension located in the central recessed region; and

a lateral protrusion connected with one of the two drive elements.

7. The child seat according to claim 6, wherein the first and third latches are respectively mounted with torsion springs operable to bias the first and third latches toward a locking state.

8. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat shell has a seatback, and the two drive elements have bent shapes that generally conform with a profile of the rails and extend from a region near a front of the seat shell to a rear region of the seat shell corresponding to the seatback.

9. The child seat according to claim 8, wherein the release mechanism further includes a release handle that is connected with the two drive elements and is operable to move relative to the seat shell.

10. The child seat according to claim 1, further including an additional latch operable to attach a rear of the child seat with a stroller structure, wherein the release mechanism is further operable to drive the additional latch to unlock from the stroller structure.

11. The child seat according to claim 10, further including a rotation blocking portion located in front of the additional latch, wherein when the additional latch is locked with the stroller structure, the rotation blocking portion abuts against a portion of the stroller structure at a position opposite to the additional latch to block rotation of the child seat.

12. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the four latches are respectively spring-biased for engaging with the base.

13. The child seat according to claim 6, wherein the lateral protrusion of each of the first and third latches is located eccentric from the pivot axis.

16. The child seat according to claim 1, wherein the two rails laterally delimit a central recessed region, and each of the two latches includes the radial engagement that extends radially from the pivot axis and is located in the central recessed region.

14. A child seat comprising:

a seat shell having a seatback and two protruding rails extending at an underside of the seat shell;

two latches operable to lock and unlock the child seat with respect to a base, wherein the two latches are respectively assembled adjacent to the two rails, and are respectively affixed with a transverse shaft that is pivotally assembled with the seat shell, the transverse shaft defining a pivot axis of the two latches; and

a release mechanism including two drive elements operable to drive the two latches to unlock from the base, and a release handle affixed with the two drive elements and accessible from a rear surface of the seatback, the drive elements including a first and a second drive element that are respectively in contact connection with the two latches, wherein the release handle is operable to cause a sliding displacement of the first and second drive elements which drive the two latches to rotate along with the transverse shaft about the pivot axis relative to the seat shell, and

wherein a radial engagement extension of each of the first and third latches upwardly terminates into a distal end which engages with a base above the pivot axis for locking the child seat with the base.

15. The child seat according to claim 14, wherein each of the two latches includes a lateral protrusion that is located eccentric from the pivot axis and is in contact connection with one of the two drive elements.

17. The child seat according to claim 14, wherein the two drive elements extend from a region near a front of the seat shell to a rear region of the seat shell corresponding to the seatback.

18. The child seat according to claim 14, wherein the two latches are respectively spring-biased to a locking state for engaging with a base.

19. The child seat according to claim 14, wherein the two latches are forward latches, and the child seat further including two rearward latches respectively connected with the first and second drive elements behind the forward latches, the forward and rearward latches being operable to lock and unlock the child seat with respect to a base.